


'Tis a damn tough life full of toil and strife

by viveriveniversumvivusvici55



Series: Dormouse [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Formerly Tranquil Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Gen, Mage Hawke - Freeform, Meeting at Skyhold, Two trauma ridden people walk onto a battlement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 00:31:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21311176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viveriveniversumvivusvici55/pseuds/viveriveniversumvivusvici55
Summary: In Which A Formerly Tranquil Inquisitor and A Mage Rebel Have A Chat
Relationships: Anders/Male Hawke
Series: Dormouse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1545286
Kudos: 11





	'Tis a damn tough life full of toil and strife

**Author's Note:**

> We interrupt the Clarice/Blackwall story to bring you this moment, which I just got through in the game and I want to redo in a way that best suits my character. For context, Clarice was Tranquil and lived in Kirkwall the entire time that Hawke was. Going into the Fade cured her. They...definitely met.
> 
> Also writing in past tense this time. We’ll see if I can keep it up.

Clarice had a hunch who Varric meant. There were only a few people that Varric felt so protective of that he couldn’t say their name. As such, she made her way up to the battlements rather quickly, trying to rehearse what she was going to say.  _ Hi, long time, no see?  _ No, that felt strange. This whole thing was strange - the title, the fortress, the greeting of the Champion of Kirkwall as though he hadn’t saved her life in the Annulment but also endangered her life, the...everything.

Maker, there was so much to deal with. She barely knew where to start.

She found the spot on the battlements easily enough. Varric gave her a smile and while that didn’t make her nerves go away, they definitely eased them just a little. 

“Inquisitor Rivers, I know you two have already met, but allow me to present Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall.”

She remembered Garrett Hawke. The burly mage walked down the stairs in full armour, staff strapped to his back, and although time seems to have been a bit rough on him, he looked exactly as she remembers. His amber eyes went a bit wide at seeing her, obviously recognizing her too, brand and all. She gave him a nod of greeting, and Hawke nodded in return. “Although I don’t use the title much anymore.”

He comes all the way down the stairs and started to raise his hand to shake before drawing it back. Clarice was grateful, although she winced a bit. Obviously, that was something Varric had shared ahead of time. “Hello, Hawke,” she said carefully, shoving down the instinct to call him Champion as she had in Kirkwall. “It has been some time.”

“That it has. I didn’t believe Varric at first when he said you were the Herald of Andraste,” Hawke didn’t shake his head in incredulity, but she heard it in his voice. 

“I get that a lot,” she shrugged. “What has he been saying about me?” 

“Good things, don’t worry. I was surprised - Varric’s not normally one for religion, but he thinks highly of the Inquisition. And you.”

Clarice turned to look at Varric and gave him a slight smile. Hawke asked afterward, “So...the Fade?”

She nodded. “The Fade. I wouldn’t recommend it as a cure, though..”

He laughed softly. “Good to know.” Then his expression goes solemn. “I am glad to see that you’re okay. I’m still sorry that you were caught up in all of it. Back in Kirkwall and now.”

_ Meredith’s sword.  _ She can still see it in her nightmares. The woman turning into Red Lyrium, the chaos of the Annulment, Cullen throwing up a sword to block her from the attacks of other Templars, and Hawke in the thick of it. She squared her shoulders and nodded. “I’m getting used to it, being in the thick of everything. I don’t think I like it.”

“You and me both. And here you are, competent and strong, with half of Thedas on your shoulders, not just a city. A far cry from what I remember you as.”

He stopped at that. Clarice was grateful he didn’t go into detail. Varric chimed in to break the awkwardness a little. “I thought you might have some friendly advice about Corypheus. We did fight him, after all."

She frowned. That definitely didn’t make it into the Tale of the Champion. Probably for very good reasons. Varric stepped back to let them talk, and Hawke made his way to the wall, leaning against it. She took up position near him, arms crossed over her chest.

“Did you ever get to see Hightown?” He asked.

“No,” she replied. “The Knight Commander wanted me out by the Chantry once, as an example, but Cullen talked her out of it.”

Hawke shook his head. “If Anders had seen…well, you heard about Karl Thekla, I imagine.”

Her heart ached for a moment, and the sadness threatened to overwhelm her. It took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I did. We all knew each other at the Circle. They were like my older brothers. Even when I was made Tranquil and mages started giving me a wide berth, Anders and Karl kept an eye on me, made sure I was being treated okay. Even in Kirkwall, Karl tried his best until they made him Tranquil too.”

They were quiet for a moment. She broke the silence. “I miss them. How is Anders?”

“He’s well, last I heard. He and Carver went out into the Free Marches once we heard that things were happening with the Wardens. I couldn’t risk either of them,” he smiled. “Knowing them, they are scrapping like cats and dogs.”

Clarice smiled slightly. “You two are still close, then. He didn’t come into the Gallows much, but I remember how he looked at you.”

He sighed. “I...when someone betrays you like that, it takes a long time to get past it. I don’t know ever have. But I can’t just give up on him. He’d be here now if it was anyone after me but the Wardens.”

Ah. “I know you supported the mage rebellion.”

“I did. But blowing up the Chantry was...not the way to do it,” Garrett looked at her. “I don’t know what the other way would be, but it was horrible. A hundred people died.”

She nodded. “I imagine he was not happy that you left him behind.”

“Anders used to  _ be  _ a Grey Warden. Whatever is going on with them, I couldn’t risk exposing him to it. That went...poorly the last time we faced Corypheus.”

And so they finally talked shop. “When did you fight Corypheus before?”

“Just before the Qunari invaded,” Garrett replied. “Fought and killed. The Grey Wardens were holding him. He somehow used his connection to the darkspawn to influence them.”

Clarice’s brows furrowed. Varric stepped in to supplement the story. “Corypheus got into their heads. Messed with their minds. Turned them against each other.”

“If the Wardens have disappeared, they could have fallen under his control again.”

Clarice blinked. “So Corypheus has the Venatori, the Red Templars, and now possibly the Wardens as well.” She can feel the stress making her chest tighten. 

Hawke obviously sees it in her face and he adds, “I didn’t come this far just to give you bad news. Breathe, Inquisitor.” She took a deep breath, tried to use it to center herself, and nodded. Hawke continued, “I’ve got a friend in the Wardens. He was investigating something unrelated for me. His name is Stroud. The last time we spoke, he was worried about corruption in the Warden ranks. Since then, nothing.”

_ Uh oh.  _

“Corypheus would certainly qualify as corruption in the ranks,” Varric chimed in. “Did your friend disappear with them?”

“No. He told me he’d be hiding in an old smuggler’s cave near Crestwood.”

Clarice peered at him for a moment. “If you didn’t know about Corypheus, what were you doing with the Wardens?”

Hawke looked grave. “You remember what happened to Meredith? Her idol?”

Clarice made the connection. “You were trying to see if the Wardens knew anything about red lyrium.”

He nodded. “Hopefully he found out something.”

_ Especially with the red templars being as they are.  _

Clarice squared her shoulders and tried to seem more formal. “I appreciate the help, Hawke. Thank you.”

“I’m doing this as much for myself as for you,” Hawke looked angry. “Corypheus is my responsibility. I thought I’d killed him before. This time, I’ll make sure of it.”

Clarice found the courage in her, to be a leader and to brave the contact, and she held out her hand for Hawke to shake. “I’ll make sure you’re right there to do it with me.”

The handshake was firm and brief, but the promise endured. They will face this enemy together and they will not fail.

They will not, because they cannot.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Rolling Down to Old Maui".


End file.
